Chad Things

I love the outdoors - running, biking, snowboarding, hiking, backpacking, camping, etc. But I really do enjoy hikes - It’s totally different than my computer-centric social city world I love. Now I’m sharing them with YOU. Note: I like harder stuff, especially ones where you get to climb a mountain.  Check out My Collections of Hiking Pictures on Flickr, as well as Hiking blogs.

• Chicago Area Day Hikes
• Chicago Area Hiking/Backpacking/Camping
• San Francisco Bay Area Day Hikes
• Northern California Hiking/Backpacking Trips

Chicagoland Day Hikes

1. Cook County Forest Preserves
   • Region 6 and 7 are my favorites (pdf map of all regions, list of regions)
     • Sag Valley Trail System (map, R7) - just SW of Midway (pics)
     • Willow Springs (Bullfrog Lake, Maple Lake, R6)
2. Dupage County Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, SW Chicago near 55/355, just west of Sag Valley
3. Indian Dunes (state park, nat’l park)
   • 90 minutes from Chicago by car
   • day hikes, beach, up to 200 foot sand dunes
   • optional: walk-in camping, RV camping, etc
4. Starved Rock State Park - (my pics)
   • 2 hrs from Chicago, hike for 2-5 hrs,
   • optional: lodge, cabin, camping
5. Kettle Moraine  John Muir Trail,
   • 2 hrs from Chicago, La Grange WI
   • hikes from 1-10 miles (pdf)
6. More chicagoland hikes
   • top 60 from trails.com
   • localhikes.com

Chicago Area Hiking/Backpacking/Camping

1. Devil’s Lake, WI
   1. Where: near Baraboo, WI, north of Madison, <4 hours from Chicago, 20 miles south of Wisconsin Dells
   2. When:  Camping year-round, swimming, rock-climbing, best in summer and fall
   3. Hiking: East Bluff Woods Trail, more ..
   4. Camping: Devil’s Lake - Wheelers (2 miles) - Mirror Lake (15 miles) - [Family: Merry Mac's, Nordic Pines]
   5. More - wikipedia - a guide - state park -  608-356-8301
2. Galena, IL - camping, historic town, river
3. Buckhorn State Park
   1. Where: Castle Rock Lake, 4 hours north of Chicago (200+ miles)
   2. When: summer, fall
   3. Hiking: and kayaking, fishing, swimming
   4. Camping: Buckhorn (reservations) -
4. Isle Royale National Park (nps.gov)
   • Where: Island in Lake Superior, between Michigan and Canada
     • 3 hr ferry leaving 8am from Copper Harbor, MI (8+ hrs north of chicago)
     • 5 hr ferry leaving 9am from Houghton MI (7+ hrs north of chicago)
   • When: April-October, best in August (closed winter).
   • Hikes: 7-40 miles, canoeing, camping, raw wildlife backcountry(gorp, trails.com, more, info, )
   • Notes: no cars, biggest island in worlds’ largest freshwater lake, per acre backcountry use is the highest of all National Parks in the United States.
5. Door County, Wisconsin .
   • Where: Peninsula on Lake Michigan, 5+ hrs north of Chicago
   • When: April-October.
   • Cape Cod of the Midwest, lots of state parks and cherry orchards (info)
6. Cohakia Mounds -  info, wikipedia, (just east of St. Louis, 5 hrs from Chicago)
7. Kickapoo State Park (more), near Danville, IL, 3 hrs south of Chicago
8. Wyalusing, Wisconsin, 4.5 hrs NW of Chicago (drive/camp place - wi.gov, bootsnall)

San Francisco Bay Area Day Hikes

1. Mt. Tam - 30-45 min north of SF, many options (trail map)
   • 2-3 hour hike from Mtn Home Inn to East Peak via Fern Creek (more, pics)
   • 5 hour hike starting in Baltimore Canyon (pics)
2. Muir Woods - just south of Mt. Tam, 30-45 min north of SF (hike info)
3. Alamere Falls - about 2 hrs north of SF, hike then swim in Pelican Lake! (info, pics, google map)
4. Sweeney Ridge - less than 30 min drive south from SF, 2-3 hour hike.
5. Castle Rock - near Saratoga, about an hour south of SF (topo map, pics)
6. Purisma Creek - 1-1.5 hrs south of SF, nature hike under trees on a hot day (pics, gps)
7. Mt. Diablo - Highest Peak in the Bay Area (pics, gps)
8. Tilden Park, Berkeley - casual hiking, 1-3 hours (map, pics)
9. Mt. Carmel - about 3 hr south of SF, hearty 10 mile roundtrip, 4-7 hours (blog, pics)
10. Angel Island - Island in SF Bay, 20min ferry from SF/Tiburon, easy hiking and camping (map, pics)
11. More Ideas:
    • GORP - SF Hikes
      
    • Bay Area Hiker - close budget friendly hikes,
    • Weekend sherpa hikes in SF Bay Area
    • Big Sur and more on 71miles

Northern California Hiking/Backpacking Trips

1. Sykes Hot Springs (blog, my pics, gps map)
   • Where: about 3 hr south of SF - Big Sur, 28 miles south of Carmel CA.
   • When: year round, crowded on summer weekends
   • Trip: 20 Miles total, 2-3 days
2. Pinnacles National Monument
   • Where: 2-3 hours south of SF, 30 miles south of Holister. map
   • When: year round, but really hot in the summer/fall,
   • Trip: Car camping and day hikes, rock climbing. Desert (temp) park info, park map, my pics,
3. Trinity Alps (5 hrs north of SF)
   • Granite Lake (pics)
   • or Coffee Creek up to Caribou Lakes.
4. Yosemite (4 hrs east of SF)
   • Half Dome (pics)
   • Ten Lakes (pics)
5. Kings Canyon National Park
   • Where: about 4-5 hours east of SF, South of Lake Tahoe
   • When: Summer and Fall
   • Many options for trips, 2-10 days
   • Day Hike to Mist Falls, camp at Cedar Grove (cedar grove topo map, pics)
   • Bubbs Creek to East Lake (2-3 days, blog, pics, gps, east lake topo map)
   • Jennie Lakes Wilderness and Seville Lake (blog, pics,)
   • Lake Sabrina (dennis research)
6. Lost Coast
   • Where: 230 miles and 4-5 hours north of SF, 80 miles of Cali coast
   • link1, gov’t conservation area,
7. Desolation Wilderness
   • Where: South Lake Tahoe, 4 hrs from SF, Horsetail Falls, log1, (Julia’s 7/2006 pics)
   • When: Summer, Fall - can be more crowded, but beautiful
8. Snow Mountain Wilderness
   • Where: <4 hours north of SF
   • When: Summer, Fall
9. More:
   • Chad’s old list, notes (need to merge)
   • Soakers Bible - Hot Springs
   • GORP: SF Weekend getaways, California
   • Sierra Club: SF Backpacking,
   • Winter/Snow trips
   • Lake Sabrina near Kings Canyon